Beautiful Evening
by Fire Rules
Summary: It's been a big day for Naruto, but why is he feeling so down? He has so much going for him, but yet why does he feel empty? Someone comes to fill the void. NaruHina
1. Beautiful Confessions

"_Beautiful Evening,"_ by Fire Rules.

It was a really pretty night, he concluded, shortly before he slung his untied bowtie over his shoulder and sat on the cool grass.

"Not a cloud in the sky, the stars are shining, it's a bright full moon… nice. Why am I talking to myself?" Vivid blue eyes scanned the horizon, looking for anything that could possibly keep his thoughts from running away and scattering in every direction. It had been a long night.

_And a happy one, he thought._

"I can't believe the bastard actually did it, and before me, too! Stupid Sasuke!" He grinned ever so slightly. "But I'm still happy for him… for them."

'Before me' was an understatement, he realized, and rather bitterly too. Everything else was going so well for him, but he still felt it… he didn't like feeling it, and he told himself on a number of occasions that he didn't need to feel it, but he felt it all the same.

_Loneliness. _

'Why should I feel lonely,' he wondered. After all, he was Naruto. Maybe ten years ago he had an excuse to feel lonely, but not any longer. He had everyone that he had become so close to.

_Iruka… Kakashi… Sakura… Sasuke… Tsunade… Jiraiya… Shikamaru… Chouji… Shizune… Konahamaru… Neji… Fuzzy Eyebrows… **Hinata…**_

Clearly, his "Precious People" list went on and on, and that was just a portion of his very first precious people. He now had his pupils, his students, the young genin he would give his life for as their Sensei and friend. He had all of the steadfast companions he had made from his leadership in an ANBU squad. He'd be reciting names all night if he started to think of all the comrades and acquaintances he had in the Hidden Village of Sand. He was fast friends with Gaara, their beloved Kazekage, after all.

He figured he had no excuse for being lonely. He was just being a baka.

"I'm the next Hokage, for crying out loud!" Although he liked the way it sounded, that proclamation didn't cheer him up too much at the moment.

His lifelong dream accomplished, he now felt somewhat empty deep in his guts. Tsunade, Konoha's precious Godaime Hokage, was to step down in a little over three months.

Three months prior, Tsunade had announced that her successor. Konaha's Rokudaime, was to be none other than Naruto. With much fanfare and approval from the citizens of Konaha, he had accepted her appointment. He had lived for that moment, the moment where everybody realized that he was strong and capable of leading them, not a weak person with a terrible demon inside of him. He was accepted, he was loved, and he was going to be the best Hokage Konaha had ever seen.

_But he was still lonely._

"Dammit!" he said bitterly, his head hanging low. It was rare for him to feel this low, and it was bugging the hell out of him.

"I should be happy for them… I'm being a selfish bastard!"

He felt the need to kick some ass; he would have kicked his own ass, of course… for being the selfish idiot that he thought he was, but he would have a hard time explaining that one to Tsunade in the hospital. He saw a hapless large tree standing proudly to his left. That tree was ripe for an ass kicking.

Yelling loudly at nothing in particular, he concentrated on spinning two balls of chakra in each hand, as he had done hundreds of times before. With two powerful Rasengans swirling angrily in his palms, he approached the tree with much gusto, slamming the supercharged balls of Chakra on each side of it.

The tree didn't stand a chance.

He backed away from what was left of the tree a little bit, his small contribution to Konaha's deforestation problem complete, and sat roughly on the ground again. He was startled by a tiny voice behind him.

"Naruto-kun…"

Naruto looked sharply behind him, trying to figure out who it was. His lips curved upward in a little smile, and his heart skipped a beat after he realized the identity of the perpetrator.

"Hinata-chan."

The young kunoichi walked briskly over to Naruto, sitting next to him. Hinata smiled a little when she saw the tree.

"Did it make you mad?"

Naruto looked puzzled at Hinata's question. "Huh?"

"The tree, Naruto-kun… did it make you angry?"

Naruto's eyes lit up in understanding, and he laughed softly at her little quip. "I'm afraid that I'm a S-Class tree murderer, Hinata-chan." He bowed his head in mock shame in Hinata's direction. "Please don't tell… I still want to be Hokage!"

Hinata giggled at the perky blond. Although most things change with time, some things never do. Naruto's silliness would always be in the latter category.

"It was beautiful, wasn't it Naruto-kun? The ceremony, that is?" Naruto looked at her, smiling widely.

"_You're beautiful,"_ he thought wryly. He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts. Just where the **hell** had that come from? Hinata once again giggled at his actions, oblivious to the meaning behind them.

"Yes it was… I can't believe that they finally did it. To think that they even did it before Shikamaru and Ino!"

Hinata nodded vigorously in reply. "I know… Sakura-chan was such a beautiful bride. And Sasuke-kun was very handsome." She thought for a moment before continuing, the darkness of the night hiding her cherry red cheeks. "And you were a very handsome best man."

Naruto gulped slightly, trying to think of a way to change the subject and not be too suspicious of it. She was just trying to be nice, after all.

_Right?_

"Ahh, Hinata-chan! I'm really sorry about not seeing you at the reception!" he said loudly, hoping to ease the unease her previous comment had brought him. "I really wanted to dance with you, because… umm, y-you… I mean." Naruto gulped again, positive that she heard him this time. He fidgeted and tried to look at her.

"Because you looked, err, look p-pretty too!" Naruto said quickly, almost too quickly for Hinata to understand.

_Almost._

Hinata concluded that her blush was freaking palpable.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun."

There were a few moments of awkward silence, and Naruto took the time to remember when he had become so nervous around the white-eyed girl.

"_Maybe it was when she became a freakin' hottie!"_ an evil voice proclaimed in the back of his mind. He would have liked to blame Kyuubi for that comment, but he knew it was his own hormonal thoughts plaguing him. Naruto once again shook his head fiercely, but didn't hear a giggle from Hinata this time.

It really did take some effort on Naruto's part to remember when and how he had become this way around Hinata. By the time their ANBU days were over, which was only about seven months prior, she was the best, most reliable, most _kick-ass _ANBU ninja under his command. Having been there with him from when he first took command, they worked with flawless accuracy and teamwork together. She was a top notch fighter, had an amazing head on her shoulders, and was an extremely capable medic ninja to boot. He knew that with the purple-haired kunoichi under his command, they could accomplish anything.

_And they did._

With the cooperation of Neji's and Naruto's ANBU squads, they had rescued Sasuke from the darkness that Orochimaru had trapped him in, kicking all kinds of Sound Village ass in the process. The snake Sannin didn't live to see the next day, and in one night, the Sound was no longer a threat to the Leaf.

One and a half years later, Naruto's ANBU squad, with Sasuke, finally decimated Akatsuki's ranks, its survivors scattering to the four corners of the earth. Naruto helped Sasuke complete his revenge, the two of them taking Itachi down together. All the time they were fighting Itachi, Hinata was there to coordinate his squad's attack on the other Akatsuki members. Needless to say, she performed flawlessly.

The village of Konoha had never seen such peace since before the great ninja wars, and they were eternally grateful for the tranquility that Naruto had bestowed upon the leaf. His actions and deeds had truly earned him the right to become Konaha's next Hokage.

With the two of them spending so much time together on his ANBU squad, they had turned into fast friends, and it was a sad time for Naruto when they parted ways. With their ANBU responsibilities done, and with the peace that they had brought to Konoha, Hinata turned her attention over to her clan.

No longer the shy, timid girl that Naruto knew as a child, she had taken over the Hyuuga clan at the age of 21, roughly six months ago. With his ANBU squad taking a much needed permanent leave, Naruto took on his students as Hinata took on the responsibilities of overseeing her clan.

And with each having such responsibilities, they saw each other less and less. It had been over six months, he realized, since he had last seen her. He had an epiphany of sorts as he sat in the grass with Hinata.

_He missed her terribly._

He also realized, not long after Hinata left to run her clan, that he felt strange around her. Of course, she had grown incredibly beautiful over the years, her dark purple hair long and shining, with every curve on her body in the right place. She had filled out beautifully. Naruto knew this all to well, having to constantly look at her **face** as opposed to other parts of her body when he saw her.

"Naruto-kun…"

But it wasn't just the way she looked, far from it. On the inside, Naruto thought, Hinata was the most beautiful person he had ever met. In their ANBU days, she was always there for him. When times were tough, she always had some words of encouragement and a gentle hug to calm him and reassure him. Oh, how he missed those hugs!

She had made him forget about Sakura quickly with those hugs, which was a good thing. Sasuke and Sakura had quickly become an item after his return. They were beautiful together, and Sakura was really the perfect person for Sasuke. Naruto was truly happy to see them united in marriage earlier that afternoon.

"Naruto-kun…"

So, Naruto knew without a doubt that he liked Hinata… a lot. Did he love her? Probably. There wasn't a day in the six months he hadn't seen her that he didn't think about her. She was constantly in his mind, like a bitter-sweet melody that you can't get out of your head. Yeah, he loved her… but he was fairly confident that Hinata had no time for such things. Besides, he simply knew that she couldn't feel the same way about him.

"Naruto-kun!"

Startled, Naruto quickly looked at the girl that yelled his name. Had she been trying to get his attention for a long time now?

Naruto decided to take the nonchalant approach. "Sorry Hinata-chan! Thanks for stopping my brain… it has a tendency to run away with itself!" Naruto guffawed loudly, but his laughter quickly died when he realized that Hinata was not laughing with him. He looked away from her again.

Now, Naruto had never been the smartest person to grace the planet; he would actually be the first to admit that. Relying on quick wits and a lot of luck had gotten him quite far over the years.

Hinata knew that there were things about him that would _never_ change. The denseness that Naruto continued to have regarding her feelings for him still rang loud and clear in Hinata's mind. It was starting to become frustrating. Scratch that, it had become frustrating a _long_ time ago. She worked up the sweetest voice she could make.

"Naruto-kun," she started slowly. "Something's bothering you." She leaned over bravely and whispered in his ear.

"The tree told me."

Naruto laughed a little bit and instinctively pulled Hinata into a tight hug. She gasped softly in surprise.

"Sorry, I'm force-hugging you… I've always been bad about that, huh?"

"No, I don't think so."

"You sure?"

"Hai, Naruto-kun."

Naruto reluctantly pulled away from Hinata, already missing the warmth the embrace provided him. He sighed a little.

"There's really nothing that wrong with me, Hinata-chan. I'm just being a selfish bastard is all."

Hinata looked at him questioningly. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm jealous of Sasuke."

Hinata immediately and unintentionally backed away from Naruto, trying to will her tears from coming. Could he possibly _still_ have feelings for Sakura?

"N-Naruto-kun…" She started twiddling her fingers.

Naruto blinked back his surprise… how long had it been since she'd stuttered, or twiddled her fingers for that matter? That wasn't the Hinata-chan he knew. It was as if the 12 year old Hinata had taken control of the 21 year old Hinata, and he didn't like it. He decided to keep talking… hopefully he would get to the bottom of the problem.

"I'm really happy for both of them… they're so happy together. I guess that's what makes me jealous."

Hinata looked at him in confusion. "Wh-what do you mean?"

He ignored the stutter. "I just see the way they are… Sasuke is actually smiling and happy. Sakura-chan just glows with love for him. I wish…" Naruto stopped, not feeling comfortable talking so intimately about his feelings.

"You wish what, Naruto-kun?"

"I wish that I could feel the same way with someone," Naruto proclaimed, just above a whisper.

Hinata was elated and ashamed at the same time. Elated that Sakura wasn't in Naruto's heart still, but very ashamed that she even thought that he still liked Sakura in that way. She was quiet literally speechless, so silence filled the air.

"Pretty stupid, ne?" Naruto said with a scoff as he glanced at the horizon. Hinata's mind turned back on, and she shook her head fiercely.

"Not at all, Naruto-kun! Everyone deserves to fall in love, at least once!" Hinata looked down, her cheeks flaming red, trying to squeak out her last comment.

"I feel the same way, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes lit up at her comment. "Really?" he asked, wanting a little reassurance.

"Really," she replied softly. "I want to someday feel like Sakura and Sasuke obviously felt like today."

"_With you, Naruto-kun! Can't you see that?"_ She was desperately trying to keep her emotions in check, to keep from crying, but she felt her control slipping away.

Naruto tentatively pulled her into another embrace, wordlessly asking of Hinata's approval to hug her. She complied by melting into his arms and burying her face in the crook of his neck, trying desperately to fight the tears that wanted to spill so badly. In her battle against her tears, she realized that she was losing… badly.

He winced when he felt them. They were hot and plentiful… Hinata's tears. Why was she crying? Naruto quickly figured out that he didn't like her crying… wrapping her up even tighter in his arms, he fought the urge to wipe the tears lovingly from her face.

He was being stupid, he realized. She was obviously very upset, and he had a feeling it had something to do with romance. Should he just tell her how he felt, even if she didn't want to return his feelings? Naruto was starting to become afraid of someone else getting to her first, and that thought bothered him greatly.

Naruto was at a loss… what was he to do about the beautiful, albeit immensely sad woman in his arms? Why couldn't there be a handbook for such things? Why couldn't he just stop skirting the issue and just tell her how he felt?

"Hinata-chan."

She looked up, her cheeks red from the embarrassment of crying so openly around him. The shame of how weak she was being at the moment was almost overwhelming.

Slowly, with shaking hands, Naruto carefully and lovingly wiped the tears from her face. Hinata instinctively shivered at his touch and closed her eyes, the feeling almost electric against her skin. Why was he doing this? Whatever the reason, she didn't want him to stop.

Naruto's entire body was now shaking as he looked at the woman in his arms. She looked so vulnerable, more vulnerable than he had seen her in a long time, and that made him sad.

His eyes lingered on her lips… they looked very kissable.

"_Why not?"_

Hinata was sure that her lungs were going collapse when she felt it. Her eyes shot open, for she wanted to verify that it was indeed Naruto's lips on hers.

_It was definitely Naruto that was kissing her._

She leaned into the kiss heavily, her entire body shaking with nervousness and ecstasy. She let out a small moan, which caused Naruto to deepen the kiss. How long had she been waiting for this? Was it ten years?

"_Yeah, ten years… far too long."_

Eventually, Naruto broke this kiss with her and rested his forehead on hers. He breathed deeply, feeling much more secure with revealing his secret. She seemed to enjoy the kiss, after all, so maybe…

"I love you," he blurted out quickly.

Hinata blinked rapidly, too shocked to respond. Naruto stared at her with unease, hoping for some kind of response.

"I love you, Hinata-chan," he said once again, hoping that it would illicit some kind of response from her.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably and sighed. "I understand if you don't feel the same way… if there's someone else…"

"Don't feel the same way? Baka!" Hinata interrupted harshly, yelling with a ferocity Naruto never knew she had. She pounded her small fists softly and repeatedly into Naruto's chest, tears once again falling freely.

"Baka, baka, baka… Naruto no baka!"

"Hina-chan…" Naruto was scared of her outburst. He felt like running far away, or digging himself in a deep whole. He was stupid for telling her how he felt.

"Do you know… h-how long I-I've w-waited for you to say t-that, N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata revealed loudly in between her sobs. She launched herself back into his arms, angrily planting kisses on his lips. Naruto was generally confused, but took it in stride.

When Hinata was done with her violent display of affection, she collapsed tiredly in Naruto's arms.

"Ten years," she started softly. "Ten years, Naruto-kun… that's how long I've liked you." Naruto held back his surprise.

"These last three years… that's how long I've _loved_ you," she whispered.

"I never knew," Naruto replied honestly. Hinata felt too drained to laugh.

"That's because you're a thick-skulled baka."

"I know… I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," she said, her breath tickling his chest. "I love you too… so much."

Naruto tightened his grip on her… he then realized how stupid he really was. Looking back, it was obvious how Hinata felt about him all this time. He could have been married to her by now, for crying out loud!

"Everyone wanted to fill you in, too," Hinata said, interrupting his self-depreciation. "But I wouldn't let them."

"Why not?" he asked curiously.

"Because I wanted to tell you… guess I never got around to it soon enough."

"Hmm," Naruto grunted quietly, unsure of what to say.

Hinata yawned softly, the sound muffled in Naruto's toned chest. "Sleepy," she said cutely, causing Naruto to instinctively kiss the top of her head.

"Rest, Hina-chan… we can talk more about it in the morning." Hinata didn't need to be asked twice, and she fell contentedly to sleep in his arms.

"_Thanks for being patient with me, Hina-chan."_

Naruto held her protectively, feeling sleepiness claim him as well. Before joining the woman he held tightly in slumber, he realized with great appreciation how beautiful his, no, _their_ evening had become.

00000000000000000000000000

Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed my first stab at any fanfiction that isn't Final Fantasy related. I really love the Naruto and Hinata pairing, and I hope this little story did it justice.

I realize that the real NaruHina romance doesn't really start until the very end of the story. I assure you that it was on purpse; I guess I'm just evil that way. I may continue this, but I made it a one shot in nature… it all depends on the feedback I get, methinks. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	2. It's the Little Things

**_Chapter 2: It's the Little Things_**

They walked slowly toward the Hyuuga manor, hand in hand, enjoying the peaceful silence. Neither wanted the morning to end, but alas, even the Rokudaime of Konaha couldn't stop time.

When they were at the gates of her large estate, they looked at each other nervously. Naruto was mulling over just how he should say farewell, and Hinata was wondering if he was going to give her a little goodbye kiss; one could only hope, after all.

"Ano… Hinata-chan?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"Thank you… for everything."

The words came out somewhat rushed… Naruto was _not_ familiar with the whole romance gig. It would take a little getting used to, but he was confident that Hinata would be patient.

_"She's been patient for ten years now, right?"_

Hinata wasn't exactly sure what he was thanking her for, but she had some theories. She was just as thankful for him. Rather than questioning his comment, she reached out to give him a tentative hug.

He returned her embrace appreciatively, resting his chin on her head. Naruto laughed inwardly, noting that he had been eventually blessed with the height gene, but Hinata was never quite so fortunate. It was okay though; he rather liked her size; cute, petite, filled out... beautiful, yet so strong.

Naruto made a great show of inhaling deeply, and his companion looked up at him questioningly. He shrugged.

"You smell good."

She giggled a little before reluctantly breaking up their hug.

"I have to go. Ano, you know… Hyuuga stuff," she said softly, crinkling her nose to emphasize her displeasure of having to leave.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, me too… duty calls, or whatever." He was to have breakfast with Tsunade, and then she was to teach him more of the deeper things a Hokage should know. Such had been his routine for the past three months.

He looked thoughtful for a moment, looked Hinata up and down, and put a big foxy grin on his face. "That dress is smoking, by the way… can't believe I didn't notice it before!" He made a little whistle, making the white-eyed young woman turn crimson.

Hinata wanted to laugh at Naruto for just now noticing her attire. She really was glad that Naruto appreciated her lavender thigh high evening gown, the same lavender thigh high evening gown that she was _dying_ to get out of. However, comfy pajamas had never sounded so appealing, and her high heals were not aiding to the greater comfort of her feet. She looked up at him and smiled warmly, love in her eyes... he was really something else.

The future Hokage may have been dense, but the look she gave him spoke volumes about her feelings. He was in awe over how transparent the look was, how full of love it was. Naruto almost wanted to cry for joy after seeing such a look, a gaze that no one had ever given him before.

Instead, he pulled her to him and kissed her softly.

"I love you," he whispered softly in her ear, bubbling over with affection and emotion for the young kunoichi.

"I love you too… thank you for a wonderful evening."

"You're welcome… say, Hinata?"

"Hmm?"

"How does dinner sound tonight?" He fidgeted. "You know, like a date?"

Hinata's eyes lit up brightly, but her happy face was quickly replaced with a disappointed one. "Gomen… I can't tonight. I have a dinner with father and the rest of the elders." Her eyes showed a very brief spark of anger before she continued.

"Branch family matters…"

Naruto nodded in understanding and gave her a warm smile. "When I'm Hokage, that branch family crap is at the top of my hit-list! We'll do it together!"

Hinata smiled brightly at the comment… she believed him wholeheartedly. Giving him another quick hug and a peck on the lips, she turned to walk through the open gate before quickly glancing back at Naruto.

"I love you."

Naruto would never get used to hearing that from her. "Love you too, Hina-chan! Get a hold of me when you can't stand not seeing me anymore!"

Hinata nodded vigorously in reply, turned around and walked to her house.

_"Naruto-kun… I already can't stand not seeing you."_

**000000000000000000**

Naruto could have sworn he was walking on clouds, although he was really just walking in the direction of the hospital. It had become his morning ritual to meet Tsunade at the hospital which was in her charge, have breakfast with her and then learn everything he could about the inner workings of Konoha politics. It was boring stuff, but it was necessary. Thus, he tackled the political side of the position of Hokage with as much gusto as everything else in his life.

Memories from his encounter with Hinata flooded his mind. From when she said hello to him on the outskirts of the village, to when they said farewell outside of the Hyuuga manor, he played the scenes over and over again in his head. How things could change in just a few short hours!

A troubling thought entered his mind, and it was somewhat frightening.

_"Can the Hokage even have a spouse? Were any of the previous Hokages ever married?"_

He shook his head at that thought… here he was, thinking about marriage already? Regardless, he decided to ask Tsunade about that one anyway.

Another random thought popped into his head… it was even more disturbing, and exciting, then the last one.

_"I would give up being Hokage to be with her!"_

What on earth was he saying? Give up the position of Hokage, his lifelong dream? Yeah, he had it for her… bad. He was both scared shitless and elated by his feelings.

He forcefully cleared his thoughts, deciding not to concern himself with such serious things at the moment. Instead, he wanted to concentrate on the happiness that Hinata had made him feel… her hugs, her soft skin, her fascinating eyes, her passionate kisses. Yeah, that was more like it… he liked the happy thoughts much more.

He continued on his merry way, oblivious to his surroundings, simply walking to the hospital on instinct.

"Ooof!"

Tsunade glared at Naruto, who had fallen clumsily to the ground when he walked absent-mindedly into her. She scoffed at him in irritation.

_"I'm really making this guy Hokage?"_

"Oh man! I'm sorry Tsunade-sama! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going at all! Gomen!"

Tsunade eyed her successor _very_ suspiciously. Since when had he called her _anything_ but Oba-chan? She extended her hand to help the young blond haired man up.

"I'm having breakfast in the Hokage tower. Come with me."

Naruto nodded and took his place beside her as they walked. Tsunade quickly noticed the bounce in his step and the little playful tune he was whistling as they walked together. What had gotten into him?

"Naruto… what's up with you this morning?" She looked at him and gasped softly in surprise. How had she not noticed this sooner?

"Why in the world are you **still** in your tuxedo!"

Naruto gulped heavily. Damn Sasuke and Sakura for wanting a "western" style wedding! This tuxedo was liable to get him in a whole lot of trouble with Konoha's number one temperamental Hokage.

"Ehh?" he replied innocently, giving her a big toothy grin. "You see, I really like the way it fits, and I think it'd make an awesome ninja outfit… you know, like a secret agent nin—Oww!"

Tsunade put her hand back down, satisfied with the flick she had bestowed upon her apprentice Hokage. "No breakfast for you until you spill the beans… I know you too well; you better not _even_ try and hide it from me."

Naruto nodded fearfully… he knew better than to mess with the woman who had the power to officially make him Hokage. Besides, he actually felt like talking to someone about his happiness.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Upon reaching Tsunade's office, he sat down in the chair in front of hers as she took her seat.

Tsunade gave him a glare before she spoke. "Okay… these past few weeks, you've been acting a little strange. You've been quite, sullen… not talking a whole lot. But today… today, you're skipping instead of walking, whistling goofy music, and you called me **Tsunade-sama****!"**

She leaned over, her face mere inches from his. "And you're still wearing your tuxedo… your hair is all messed up…" She crinkled up her nose in a disgusted fashion before continuing. "Not to mention your breath stinks… it doesn't take an idiot to realize that you didn't even go home last night.

Her gaze on Naruto was almost murderous.

**_"Spill it."_** Naruto concluded that Kyuubi sounded more pleasant.

He nodded with a cold stare, not at all phased by her temper. His face softened considerably, and he smiled warmly at her.

"Tsunade… you've been in love before, right?"

She almost choked on the coffee she was drinking when he asked that question. That was _way_ out from left field, especially coming from Naruto. Deeming that his question was serious, she put down her coffee mug and sighed.

"Yes, Naruto… I've talked about him many times before, you know."

Naruto nodded before talking again. "Would… would you give up being Hokage to have him with you again?"

Tsunade didn't even need to think about his question. "In a heartbeat, Naruto…" She spaced out for a moment, deep in thought, before looking at the young man in front of her once again.

"Naruto," she started slowly. "Why are you asking about this?"

He breathed in deeply… when he first came in here, he was anxious to tell her, but now he was a little nervous. What if Hinata didn't want him talking about such things just yet? He figured after thinking for a few minutes that he really didn't have a choice… Tsunade would _kill_ him for not telling her after he had already piqued her curiosity. Not to mention the fact that she was beginning to look quite impatient.

"I've found someone to love… and she feels the same way."

Tsunade looked at him critically… she had a feeling it had something to do with that.

Naruto fidgeted nervously. "Ano… Oba-chan… I can still be Hokage even if I'm, say, married or something, right?"

His mentor gasped a little at the question… marriage? Naruto shook his head quickly, figuring out what she was thinking.

"I'm not talking about right now… I mean, later. Is there anything stopping me from eventually marrying her?"

"Absolutely not… there is nothing in our laws that says a Hokage cannot be wed," Tsunade replied softly.

"I will say, however, that being Hokage and being married can be very difficult." She got up and walked to the large bookcase in her office. Fingering through the books, she finally found the one she was looking for. She walked back to Naruto and handed him a fairly sizable one.

"This will be your assignment for today… read chapters eleven and twelve from this book when you get home. It talks about this very issue." Naruto nodded gratefully, holding the book under his arm. About that time, a servant brought breakfast up to the two of them.

Tsunade thanked the servant and shot a grin at Naruto. "Let's eat… now, who exactly is this person that you're in _love_ with?" she asked with a girlish giggle.

**000000000000000000**

Tsunade was happy, more happy than she had been in a while. She looked at her young apprentice and smiled a genuine smile at him. It was about bloody time he and Hinata made themselves a couple!

"That has to be one of the most romantic ways I can think of two people confessing their love for each other!" she cooed happily, ruffling Naruto's hair as if he were once again the twelve year old boy Tsunade was so fond of.

"Ahh, can it Oba-chan! You're embarrassing me." He thought for a minute before continuing.

"Nah, I really don't care! Hinata-chan is great!"

Tsunade's smile was replaced with a small frown as she thought back to the assignment she gave Naruto.

"Naruto," she started, a little unsure of herself. "You do promise to read what I gave you, right?"

He nodded quickly. "Of course… you know I've been listening to everything you've had to say to me! I'm taking this very seriously, you know that."

Tsunade sighed in response. "Yes, you are, which I'm very thankful for. You should go home and clean yourself up, relax and read the book I gave you. Think very hard about what it has to say, alright?"

Naruto gave a quick salute before turning to leave… as he was walking out the door, a young ANBU soldier came into Tsunade's office, morning report in hand.

"Tsunade-sama, the morning report!" he proclaimed energetically as he handed her a small stack of papers.

"Thank you, Yukito-san… you're dismissed." He saluted and made a quick exit. Tsunade sighed as she began leafing through the papers.

"See you later, Oba-chan! I'll go and read that book, okay?" He looked at her strangely, wondering why she wasn't responding to him.

"That's funny..." Tsunade said quietly to no one in particular. "One of the oldest trees in Konoha was mysteriously destroyed last night…" She didn't notice the nervous look on Naruto's face.

"Charred sawdust… burnt remnants of a stump… massive chakra residue found around the tree. Naruto, do you know anything about th-…"

The wind from the door slamming shut brushed her face as she heard rapid heavy footsteps racing down the stairs. She growled at the door, or rather the person who had just exited from the door. His actions spoke volumes about his knowledge of the tree incident. Besides, he had a notorious tree murdering track record… it wasn't a hard mystery to figure out.

She wondered, for the second time that day, exactly why she was making him Hokage.

**000000000000000000**

Naruto was pissed… it was two o'clock in the morning, and he hadn't been able to get a single wink of sleep.

It had been an uneventful day… he had gone home and lounged around the entire afternoon. Before going to bed, he had decided to read the book Tsunade had assigned to him. He almost wished that he hadn't.

Not only had all kinds of thoughts of his new purple-haired lover sprung up in his mind, he was also greatly disturbed by what Tsunade had given him to read. The account of the second Hokage was gut-wrenching… he had taken a wife shortly after he was appointed.

_Multiple kidnappings, ransoms demanded._

_Attempted rape by thugs from a small neighboring village._

_His young wife, dead in his arms…killed in her sleep by a rival village's assassin._

Naruto winced; the book went into way more detail than he would have preferred. The second Hokage and his wife had to endure so much pain because of his position, and he ultimately lost her. Naruto felt immensely sorry for him upon reading the account.

It was for that reason that Naruto was plagued with insomnia… he didn't want to always fear for Hinata's safety, just because he was the Hokage. Tsunade was very right… it was definitely something to think long and hard about.

He was startled out of his troubled reverie when he heard a light rapping on his apartment window.

Naruto quickly got up from his bed and threw a shirt on. He opened the window, thinking that maybe a cat was on the window sill. What he was greeted with was most definitely not a cat… it was a very distraught looking Hinata.

"Hina…chan? Wh-what are you doing here?" Hinata looked at him apologetically, trying to wipe the tears from her face.

Realizing his lack of manners, Naruto quickly took Hinata in his arms and carried her into his apartment. Once he had put her down, Hinata launched herself into his arms, crying uncontrollably.

Naruto was at a loss as to what was going on, but he certainly knew that he hated seeing her so upset. He took her in his arms once again and carried her into the living room. He sat down on the couch and gently put her on his lap.

He held Hinata tight, stroking her hair and rocking her until the crying subsided… when he was confident that she might be able to talk, he gently brushed her hair away from her face and looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong, Hina-chan?"

"I…" Hinata sniffed loudly and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She felt exhausted and embarrassed from her emotional outburst.

"I'm sorry that I bothered you like this… d-did I wake you?" Naruto shook his head fiercely.

"Never mind that Hina-chan, you'll always have a shoulder to cry on with me. Please, tell me what's the matter."

Hinata looked deeply into Naruto's eyes, happy that she had him as a pillar of support. Fresh tears came to the surface, and they rolled slowly down her cheeks.

"I wish… I wish I never took over the Hyuuga clan," she said sadly, with a touch of anger in her voice.

"Why, Hina-chan?"

She sniffed. "I'm just a puppet… my father and the elders s-still r-run the clan." She started crying softly again.

"I try so hard, Naruto-kun… I want o-our f-family to be united! I don't want a main and branch family anymore!" Naruto continued holding her tightly as he listened intently.

"They… they won't have any of it, including my father. I… I'm still w-weak in their eyes, they told me so. Weak because I want change, a change that would better the clan."

Tears were freely rolling down her face again. "I hate them, sometimes… their traditions, their opinions, their disrespect toward the branch family. I hate them!"

She collapsed tiredly in his arms… her grief had made her so tired; her crying had drained every ounce of energy out of her. She looked up at Naruto again, eternally grateful for his quiet support.

"Thank you so much Naruto-kun… w-we only just now started… us two. You probably think I'm c-crazy, knocking on your window in the middle of the night like this."

Naruto glared at her for a second, frustrated at how she was being so down on herself… a genuine look of empathy immediately replaced the glare.

"I'm _glad_ you came to see me… it's good to talk to someone when you're hurting." He smiled reassuringly at her. "Everything's gonna be okay, Hinata-chan… I'll make sure of it! Those stupid Hyuugas will hear a piece of my mind in a few months, that's for sure!"

Hinata wiped the last of her tears away and smiled at Naruto. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome… any time Hina-chan, and I mean that."

Hinata blushed for a minute at the thought she had, but worked up the courage to ask the question on her mind. "Ano… Naruto-kun… do you think I could sleep here tonight? I don't want to be anywhere near that… that fortress right now."

Naruto didn't think anything of it. "Of course I don't mind! You can have the bed, and I'll take the couch, okay?" He picked her up gently and walked into the bedroom… he relinquished his grip on her and she stood to face him.

"I can change the sheets if you like…"

Hinata shook her head. "No, you don't have to trouble yourself."

"Okay… want me to tuck you in?" He asked with a lopsided grin. Hinata smiled brightly at the question.

"I'd like that."

She put herself in his bed and made herself comfortable. Hinata smiled sleepily and reveled in the feel of the sheets and soft pillows. His sheets and pillows smelled like him… they smelled wonderful.

Naruto walked tentatively to the side of his bed, gently putting a hand to Hinata's face; he proceeded to pull the covers over her and kiss her gently on the forehead.

"I love you, Hina-chan."

"I love you too," she said sleepily, blinking her eyes rapidly to stave off her exhaustion.

"Goodnight Hina-chan…" He turned to leave, when her small hand grabbed his forearm.

"Naruto-kun…" she said timidly, the darkness of the room hiding her flaming red cheeks. "The bed's big enough for the two of us… I… I trust you."

Naruto nodded nervously and pulled the covers back so he could get into bed. He situated himself, and yawned loudly. It had been a wild day… if anyone would have told him that he would be sleeping in the same bed as Hyuuga Hinata a few days before, he would have laughed bitterly at them for their outrageous comment.

He looked at her still form, wondering if she was still awake.

"Hina-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Can… can I hold you?" She scooted closer to him in reply, burying her face in his chest.

"Please do, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto wrapped his arms tightly around her, wordlessly wishing any sadness she may have still felt away. "Good night Hina-chan."

"G'night, Naruto-kun… love you, thank you so much." He pulled her still closer.

Looking back on that night, Naruto could safely say that it was the best sleep he had ever had…

**000000000000000000**

Author's Notes: And so, I decided to continue it. I hope that you guys like it. I think that I'm going to make this thing about a 4-6 chapter affair. After the next chapter, it's going to shift into the future, more than likely. Keep checking it out for more fluffy goodness.

Also, please review… I love every single review I get. Until next time, then!


	3. A Day in the Life of

_**Chapter 3: A Day in the Life of…**_

Naruto yawned loudly, stretching his arms and legs in a quite exaggerated fashion. Quickly deciding that he wanted to sleep a little longer before dragging himself out of bed, he rolled over haphazardly only to find a large lump on the mattress.

Needless to say, it wasn't a lump on the mattress.

"Eeep!"

Naruto quickly took his weight off of the "lump" and scrambled to the other side of the bed. Memories of his encounter with Hinata early that morning flooded his mind. He sighed at his stupidity and then brought his attention to the woman in his bed.

"I'm sorry Hina-chan! I… ano, well… I forgot you were there!"

Hinata giggled softly and blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to get the sleep out of them. "It's okay, Naruto-kun… did you sleep well?"

He nodded his head vigorously. "Best night's sleep I've ever had! You're very, umm, warm… and nice to hold on to!" he proclaimed, a large smile on his face.

Hinata laughed once again, and let out another "eeep!" when Naruto tackled her playfully, pinning her to the bed.

He was laughing as he spoke. "You, my lady, are quite beautiful in the morning… I consider myself a very lucky future Hokage!" Naruto then decided give his not-oft used tickle no-jutsu a spin. It worked better than he could imagine.

Hinata concluded that she both loved and hated his tickling… it was as if he knew her every ticklish spot, and she was completely unable to defend herself. She laughed uncontrollably as Naruto's damn near lethal tickle no-jutsu attacked the young woman's body mercilessly. Surprise attacks were a bitch.

Eventually, his tickling subsided, and Naruto collapsed haphazardly on top of Hinata. He smiled tenderly at her. "I could really get used to this…"

"Me too… but you're squishing me!" she replied, wheezing ever so slightly.

"Oops, sorry!" Naruto replied with a laugh as he rolled off of her. Hinata looked at him warmly.

"Do you remember when we had our little play fights… when we were both in ANBU? You would tickle me, and I would try to tickle you, and then you would end up pinning me to the ground… we were so close to each other. I wanted you to kiss me so bad."

"Hmm," Naruto replied. "How could I forget those times…? I wanted to kiss you so bad too." He adjusted his position slightly, letting Hinata cuddle closer to him.

"You should have."

"I know."

Naruto shifted in bed, trying to look at Hinata. "I had a lot of free time yesterday, Hina-Chan," he started. "Naturally, I kept thinking about, ano… you. Why was I so dumb? Why didn't this, I mean, this… between us… happen much sooner?"

Hinata laughed a little at his question. "Remember, Naruto-kun? I told you the other night… you're a thick skulled baka."

Naruto nodded. "Obviously… I've wasted precious years that I could have had with you."

Hinata hmmed at the comment before shrugging it off. "It wasn't all your fault either… I should have had the courage to tell you long ago."

Hinata put her gloomy thoughts away. "But we have many more precious years ahead of us, right?" Naruto's eyes lit up in reply.

"You're right, Hina-chan! Many more years… I won't be letting go of you so easily now, you know!"

She smiled at his exuberance. "I wouldn't expect anything less, and don't you forget that!" She snuggled up beside him again, grinning happily

"Silly Naruto-kun…" Hinata yawned softly. "I'm still sleepy…"

"Of course you are," Naruto replied quickly. "You've taken a ride on quite the emotional roller coaster these past couple of days."

"Yeah…" she replied wearily, the pain from the previous evening's events returning to her.

Naruto looked at her critically before grinning reassuringly. "We'll make them change, Hina-chan… we'll work super hard to unite your clan. I know how important it is to you, for Neji and Tenten too."

He kissed her softly on the lips, hoping that he could possibly cheer her up. "I'll make sure that such ridiculous divisions are done away with… it's the promise of a life time, my ninja way… my Hokage way!" Hinata smiled happily at him… she had heard that phrase from him on a number of occasions, and he had never let anyone down. She knew that his intentions were clear, pure and honest.

Naruto appeared confident, for Hinata's sake… on the inside, however, he wasn't completely sure. He had learned the hard way that the Kages of the hidden villages had more of a ceremonial type of power than true legislative power. If anything, the position was an unreasonably crippled pseudo-executive office, with the real legislative power leaning heavily to the most powerful clans in the village.

Tsunade had been trying for years to do away with divisions within clans, particularly the Hyuugas. There had been some victories for her, but the Hyuugas never failed to be a frustratingly stubborn bunch.

Regardless, Naruto still wanted to be Hokage… no longer was it a simplistic childhood dream. He thoroughly wanted to make a real difference for his village. Tsunade had been an _excellent_ Hokage, but as she put it, she no longer had the energy to put up with the "damned village idiots." She knew that Naruto had enough energy and ambition to work hard for reform.

According to her, the Rokudaime would be a **_pivotal and decisive_** leader for the Hidden Leaf, a leader that would either make or break Konoha; in her opinion, definite changes would be needed to keep them the central power of the Fire Country. Everything, she said, would rest on Naruto's shoulders… needless to say, such comments made the soon to be Hokage a little nervous.

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention back to Hinata. He had a feeling that if both the Hokage _and_ Hyuuga's clan leader stepped up to the plate, some real progress could be made. He knew that Hinata was strong and brave… she would give her all to make the changes with him, that he was sure of.

He brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes. "They really don't mean anything by it, Hina-chan… it's just the way they are. You know how hard I've had to fight for this fickle village's approval."

Hinata nodded in understanding. "Kyuubi?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah… all the older people were troublesome; when you guys found out, you were the only understanding ones."

Naruto's purple haired companion looked at him contemplatively. She knew about that all too well… it took a ridiculous amount of work and countless heroics from the young blond man for the village as a whole to accept him. In typical Naruto fashion, he found a way to make _almost _everyone in the village eventually love him. Hinata stared at him with adoration in her eyes… he was her hero.

"I'm really glad that you're already acquainted with my bastard roommate," Naruto proclaimed casually, interrupting Hinata's thoughts.

She gave him an understanding look and a little grin. "I never really cared after I found out… everybody knows _you _control that fur ball, not the other way around."

Naruto laughed at Kyuubi's angry snarl. "I think Kyuubi wants to eat us right now…" he whispered quietly with a goofy grin. Hinata snickered and merely stuck her tongue out at Kyuubi, while Naruto decided that he liked her tongue… a lot.

"_Shake the improper ideas, Naruto!"_

Hinata thought for a moment, oblivious to Naruto's uneasiness, and went back to the topic at hand. "I really don't understand why some of the older villagers still dislike you, after everything you've done for the village..."

Naruto quickly shrugged off remaining thoughts of Hinata's tongue. "Because they're not awesome and understanding and caring like you… I've stopped caring about the small number of people that still dislike me a _long_ time ago."

He winked at her. "My precious people list is HUGE now!"

Hinata couldn't help but laugh… Naruto had this amazing ability of making her smile. Not just a passing grin, but a true bona-fide ear to ear smile; yet another reason why she _knew_ she could spend her life with him. Her body bubbling over with affection for him, she tackled him playfully and buried her head in the crook of his neck.

Hinata, resting atop her new lover with her lips touching Naruto's neck teasingly, sighed a quiet, content sigh. Naruto marveled wordlessly at the closeness they shared… he could feel her strong heartbeat, hear her quiet breaths, feel her soft, warm lips touching him.

"I could stay like this all day," Hinata whispered softly, trying to cuddle even closer to him.

"Mmm hmm…"

Hinata groaned in disappointment. "But I can't! Ooohhh, not fair!" Naruto laughed at her little whine. Grudgingly, she got off of Naruto and stood up, wiping her eyes sleepily.

"You're going to need some bad-ass ninja skills to get back to the Hyuuga compound unnoticed. Hinata grinned at him coyly.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine… I'm sneakier than you think!" she said proudly. Naruto stared at her in wonder… how different from the shy, dark weirdo of yesteryear!

"Do you have to meet with Tsunade-sama today?" Hinata asked. Naruto nodded, clearly not happy with the prospect. The book she had him read was still weighing heavily on my mind.

"Yeah… I'm going to have to seriously bitch at her for the 'reading assignment' she gave me." The vehemence that he made the comment with prompted Hinata to not ask for details. She looked at him unhappily.

"I have to go…"

"Yeah," Naruto said in reply, in an equally unhappy voice. He thought for a moment, and his eyes lit up mischievously.

"You know, Hina-chan… you don't only have to tap at my window at night when you're upset. If you only want lots of hugs and kisses, I'm _sure_ that I can accommodate." Hinata blushed slightly and then smiled in return.

"I might just take you up on that offer, lover boy," she responded playfully.

"Oh!" Naruto said, quickly remembering something. "Do you have time for dinner tonight… pleeeease?" he asked excitedly, putting on his best puppy dog face.

Hinata smiled brightly. "I'd love to, Naruto-kun… ano, can I come over? I'll make you some homemade ramen." Naruto's eyes lit up brighter than the Hokage tower at Christmas time.

"That would _rock, _Hina-chan!"

"7 o'clock?"

"It's a date!"

Hinata blushed at the "date" comment, gave Naruto a big hug, and a _very_ nice kiss to tide him over until later in the evening.

"I'll see you tonight, Naruto-kun… love you."

"Love you too Hina-chan… I will be awaiting your presence in earnest, my dear!"

Hinata nodded happily, opened his window and was gone in a flash. As she jumped stealthily from building to building, she channeled large amounts of Chakra into her feet, jumping higher than necessary. She felt powerful, she felt happy… she remembered not what happened the previous night, nor did she care; because at that very moment, at that time, she felt as if she could _soar._

**000000000000000000**

"Did you read what I assigned to you?"

"Yeah… I did. That was freakin' evil of you, making me read something so damn depressing!"

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto, I didn't make you read that to be mean. I wanted you to read it so that you could be informed." She shifted in her seat a little before continuing.

"Naruto… I think it's absolutely wonderful that you and Hinata are _finally_ together. I just wanted you to know that any woman that is involved with a Kage of a hidden village is always going to be exposed to some risk. Warring villages can stoop to very low levels… you know that very well, from our experience with the Sound."

Naruto nodded solemnly… what Tsunade was telling him made sense.

Tsunade continued to speak. "You and Hinata have an advantage though." Naruto's eyes lit up.

"What do you mean?"

Tsunade smiled at him. "Every Hokage up to this point was never married to another Shinobi. The first four Hokages were married to village girls who were not Shinobi." Tsunade gave Naruto a toothy grin. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that Hinata is a very skilled kunoichi."

Naruto's countenance changed dramatically. "She is good! That's great! Hinata can kick ass with the best of them, so we'll be okay!"

Tsunade laughed a little. "More than likely… you and Hinata are both quite strong." She gave him a pensive look. "You should feel very lucky to be with someone like her."

He nodded vigorously in reply. "I do! Very much… I can't believe I never noticed how she felt until now."

"It's because you're an idiot."

"Yeah… I've heard that a lot from her these past couple of days." Naruto gave a little sigh. "I can't believe that I was even thinking that the Hokage might not even be able to have a wife."

Tsunade gave him a quick 'what the hell?' look.

"You honestly thought that…?"

"Yeah."

"You really are an idiot!"

Naruto huffed. "Hey, why do you say that? It was perfectly reasonable to think something like that!"

Tsunade laughed loudly at Naruto's expense. "You… ugh, think about it! Konohamaru…" She looked at him expectantly.

Naruto continued to look like a big question mark. "Konohamaru…? Don't change the subject… what does _he _have to do with our conversation?"

Tsunade quickly reached over and smacked him upside the head.

"Konohamaru, you damned idiot, was the third's grandson! Do you think his lineage just popped out of nowhere?" Tsunade rolled her eyes, once again wondering if it was the right decision to make Naruto the Hokage.

"Um… oh," he said quietly, slightly embarrassed at not being able to connect the very simple dots.

Tsunade huffed a little and turned her attention to more pressing things. "Whatever Naruto… we all know you're dense." Naruto scowled, and Tsunade walked up to him.

Putting a hand on his shoulder, she decided to reassure him. "But… we know that your heart is in the right place. I know that, and so does Hinata."

Naruto smiled brightly. "Yep, that's right! You know you love me, Oba-chan! So, what do you want to teach me today?" Tsunade gave an evil grin to Naruto, wondering what he might think of her curriculum.

"Romance…" she said flatly, trying not to laugh. "Or, as us old-timers like to put it, 'the birds and the bees…' you know, things of a **sexual** nature." Tsunade cackled evilly.

"You need to learn such things, you know. Also, I will teach you how to **respect** a woman, something that I **know **your perverted old goat of a teacher never helped you with!"

Naruto immediately and fearfully got out of his seat and ran for the door, only to find that two rather _large _ANBU Shinobi were blocking the entrance.

"It's no use Naruto… you are going to receive this lesson. I have to make sure that you treat little Hinata with the respect a beautiful, wonderful woman deserves." She cracked her knuckles menacingly; she always did have a flair for the dramatic.

_Naruto's cries for help were drowned out by Tsunade's laughter…_

**000000000000000000**

Naruto looked at himself for about the hundredth time in his bathroom mirror.

"Looking _good_," he whispered quietly, confident in his appearance. His non-typical vainness was interrupted by a knock at the door. Naruto quickly went to the door and opened it.

"I decided not to use the window this time," Hinata said, smiling sheepishly at the young man in front of her.

Naruto noticed the two large grocery bags she had in her hands. "Good call," he replied. "Here, let me help you with that."

She thankfully handed him one of the bags, and they made their way to Naruto's kitchen together.

"I'm glad you finally learned how to keep house," Hinata said playfully as she tried to familiarize himself with Naruto's kitchen. "Can you help me put all the ingredients on the counter?"

He was happy to help, and whistled at all the ridiculously yummy looking ingredients Hinata picked for his ramen feast.

"Well," Naruto replied awkwardly, "Tsunade kind of made me learn to keep house… and I cleaned up before you got here too!" Hinata laughed, not surprised that he wanted to impress her.

Naruto grunted in disapproval of his current mentor. "A messy house like this is a disgrace on the title of Hokage," he said, attempting his best Tsunade impression.

"Evil old lady…" he whispered under his breath.

Hinata shook her head to shoosh him. "Naruto-kun… you know very well that Tsunade-sama isn't evil. She's done so many great things for this village over the years."

Naruto waved her comment off. "Yeah, yeah, I know… she's just been really grating on my nerves these past couple of days. Yesterday, she forces me to tell her about you and me, and she makes me read this book that really had me worried about some things. And you would never believe what she put me through today! She got some wild hair and decided she needed to start telling me about s-se..x, h-h-hey let's see what's on T.V.!"

Hinata just couldn't let that one pass. "She talked to you about _what_?"

Naruto whistled, pretending not to hear her. A quick poke in the stomach by the purple-haired Shinobi fixed that problem.

"Umm, she… well… she felt like she just HAD to talk to me about relationships, and… umm… sex and stuff."

Hinata blushed. "What did you tell her?"

Naruto twitched. "I told her that she didn't need to, that I already knew enough about that sort of thing."

Hinata's gaze was fierce. "Just how much **_do _**you know about such things, Naruto-kun?" she asked with a false sugary sweetness.

"Hey hey!" Naruto said defensively. "I didn't mean it **_that _**way! I only know about how such things work only because I was training under the number one all time perverted ninja of the world!"

He blushed crimson. "I've never even… well, I've never even _kissed_ a girl until just the other night, Hina-chan. Pretty pathetic for a twenty one year old guy, right?"

Hinata's eyes softened. "I guess it's only about as pathetic as a twenty one year old girl that has never been kissed until just the other night." Naruto nodded in understanding and decided to change the subject.

"So… what kind of ramen are you making?"

Hinata smiled, grateful for the change in subject. "I am making… Hinata's secret ramen. You'll find out when you taste it."

Naruto smiled. "Hinata's secret ramen sounds like a perfect menu choice! Can I help with anything?"

**000000000000000000**

The night went by quickly… Hinata and Naruto talked while she worked her culinary magic. Naruto wanted to know how she had been for the past six months, and Hinata wondered about his young genin students. They were both finding it amazing how easy it was for them to talk with one another. It was definitely a good start, they both figured.

When dinner was finished, Naruto dug in with as much gusto as ever when it came to him eating ramen.

"This…" Naruto said in between mouthfuls. "This ramen… is better than… Ichiraku's!" he proclaimed loudly, in between mouthfuls.

Hinata blushed bright red at his praise, for she knew just how huge of a compliment that really was. "You think so?"

"I know so! This is awesome!" Naruto ate and ate, while Hinata had a couple of servings. When they were done, and after the dishes were washed and put away, they found themselves together on Naruto's comfortable couch.

"You're absolutely the _best_, Hina-chan… thanks a bunch!" Naruto proclaimed happily while giving her a quick hug."

"You're welcome… I'll cook for you any time, Naruto-kun." She knew that he would take her up on that offer.

"So," Naruto started excitedly. "The night's still young, is there anything you would like to do? Wanna catch a movie, or go to the park, or something?"

Hinata thought for a moment. "Hmm…"

She gave Naruto a lingering hug. "I like it here right now… I feel so… comfortable here. Can we stay in tonight?"

"Sure Hina-chan! Do you have anything in particular that you want to do?"

"Do you have any movies we could watch?"

"Umm, yeah," he replied. "Oh, wait!" He picked up an envelope lying on his study desk and shook out the contents. "I just got this in the mail from Koyuki… it's her latest movie, I haven't even seen it yet."

Hinata's eyes widened. "_Queen Koyuki_? Naruto-kun, do you actually know her?" Naruto looked at her nonchalantly.

"Yeah, course I do! We always write each other, and she sends me her latest movies when they come out. I could've sworn that I told you about our snow country mission from way back when."

"No, I never heard about it."

"Hmm," Naruto said, tapping his toe while looking somewhat unconvinced. "No matter! Do you want to watch it?"

Hinata nodded quickly. "I love her movies."

Naruto put the movie in, and the two of them started watching. It's important to understand that on that particular evening, Naruto and Hinata didn't have a grudge against the fair Queen Koyuki's movie. It was actually pretty good; the problem was that Naruto and Hinata, like so many other new young couples, found themselves paying more attention to each other than to the movie.

Hinata found herself under Naruto on the couch and being enveloped in a world altering kiss from him. She broke free from his kiss just long enough to ask him to turn the television off. Naruto quickly turned off the movie, and the two of them found themselves in total silence and darkness.

Here is a fact about new relationships; privacy, darkness, and silence are detrimental to any young couple's proper behavior. Naruto and Hinata found themselves in this very situation.

"You're breathing heavy, Naruto-kun."

"You are too…"

Hinata had never felt so close to someone before… at that moment, she felt as if she could reach out and touch Naruto's soul. She could hear his irregular breathing, could sense his uneasiness, and could tell that he was excited by the situation they had found themselves in. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't feeling the same way.

Naruto wrapped her up in another kiss, and she held back the surprise as he tentatively put his tongue in her mouth.

She reciprocated the kiss wholly, moaning slightly as they deepened the kiss. For what seemed like hours, they continued exploring each other's mouths while holding on tightly to one another. Finally, they broke their kiss and looked shyly at each other.

Naruto broke the pleasant silence. "That was… umm, new."

Hinata giggled weakly. "Yeah… it was nice." She tightened her hold on the young man on top of her… it was **_so_ **nice.

Naruto laughed half heartedly. "You know Hina-chan, you're going to drive me crazy before everything is said and done."

Hinata cutely wrinkled her nose at him. "I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult."

"It's the greatest of compliments, but it's very hard on a red-blooded male such as myself… would it be too soon if I said that I want to make you my wife someday?"

Hinata smiled broadly, thankful for Naruto's honesty and flattered that he appreciated her affection. "It wouldn't be soon enough!" she replied, slightly flustered. "Men aren't the only ones that get excited you know."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ehh, Hina-chan? You were… excited?" He asked slyly, sounding curious for details. Hinata turned crimson and decided that the wall was very nice to stare at.

"I won't be repeating that, and if you value your well-being, you won't repeat it to anyone else." She stuck her tongue out at him for emphasis.

Naruto laughed, but then looked at Hinata solemnly. "Ne, Hina-Chan… are we moving too fast...? I mean, we _have_ been denying each other for so long, but now that we're together, and just for a couple of days I might add, we're…"

Hinata surprised him with her comment as she interrupted. "If this is moving too fast, I don't care. All I know is that I love you… and love being so close to you. It feels right and good and wonderful."

Naruto nodded. "Okay…"

"Can I stay over again tonight?"

Naruto looked at her incredulously. "What about your family?"

Hinata pouted. "I am the clan leader, I do have some say as to what I can and can't do." She put on her best cute Hina-chan face. "Please?"

Naruto couldn't say no to such unbearable sweetness. He picked her up dotingly and took her to his bed. He climbed in bravely and held her tight.

"What an awesome night," he said, thinking out loud. "You're just too incredible to be for real. I hope you get used to me, because I love you too much to let go now."

Hinata smiled into his chest, feeling a intoxicating mix of love, ecstasy, and exhaustion shaken and stirred together throughout her body. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, silently thanking her for the reassurance.

"Good night Hina-chan…"

"Good night Naruto-kun…"

So, there they were yet again, holding each other close in Naruto's bed for the second night in a row, yet the circumstances were very different. This night was for them… not for sadness, not for things out of their control, but for their own happiness. They were in control, and they wanted nothing more than the marvelous sensation of holding tightly on to one another.

And damn it all if they didn't deserve it.

**000000000000000000**

Author's Notes: Okay, so it seems as if I didn't abandon this story… really, I just write when I'm in the mood to and when I have time. So, there **will **be a next chapter, it **will **shift into the future, and it **will** be out when it's out. Hope you enjoyed this one, and please review if you get the chance.


	4. A proposal, if you will

_**Chapter 4: A proposal, if you will.**_

"Hiashi-sama, your visitor has arrived." The former clan leader looked at the branch family attendant, nodded and waved him off. In strolled one Uzumaki Naruto, the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha.

"Hokage-sama, what brings me the honor of your visit this morning?" Naruto silently applauded the stern Hyuuga for his attempt at sincerity, but it wasn't difficult to hear the lack of genuineness in his voice.

"Please Hiashi-sama," the young blonde village leader replied. "Just Naruto is fine." Hiashi snorted a bit as he spoke up against his superior.

"I seem to recall you being very keen on garnering the position of Hokage, Naruto-san," he started slowly. "It was your dream, or so I heard… and now, you do not wish to be called as such? Odd."

Naruto put his hands on his hips as he stood across from Hiashi and formed his trademark grin. "On the contrary, Hiashi-sama! I _love_ being addressed as Hokage every single day! When I'm off duty, however, I prefer to just be referred to as Naruto."

Naruto winked slyly as he sat down. "I can't let my power and supreme awesomeness get to my head, y'know?" he added playfully. Naruto kept the dumb grin on his face, knowing that it would upset the uptight Hyuuga even more.

Hiashi sighed at Uzumaki's immaturity and wondered how he was appointed the premier shinobi of his proud village. He decided to stay quiet, if nothing else just to expedite the conclusion of this meeting with the boisterous ninja.

"Anyways," Naruto started, "I have something very important to ask of you, and it's not related to village affairs." Hiashi looked at him with interest.

"Oh?"

"As I'm sure you know, I have been courting Hinata-chan for some time now," the Kyuubi vessel declared bravely, trying to ignore the nerves that this conversation was giving him. "I haven't even spoken with you about it, so I felt like it was the honorable thing to meet with you about my relationship with your daughter."

"Very brave, Naruto-san," Hiashi said indignantly. "Especially since you know I do not approve of the relationship." The Hyuuga frowned deeply at the young man. "This relationship can go nowhere. You know the Hyuuga clan rules, but you and my daughter have been openly defying them for a year and a half."

"I know, Hiashi-sama… that's why I wanted to talk to you." Naruto fidgeted a bit; he had always considered himself to be fearless. He came into the grumpy Hyuuga's room with a great sense of confidence, but it was dwindling to some extent.

"Listen, you know better than anyone, Hiashi-sama, that I'm not the best with words. You know this for a fact, because you are at every village council meeting. So, you know that I'm not a great public speaker, and that I don't have the largest vocabulary." Naruto looked at Hiashi darkly.

"You also know, however, that I have done great things for this village. Tell me, in the year since I've been Hokage, how has this village been doing?"

Hiashi had to concede to Uzumaki in that regard. He didn't know if it was beginner's luck or if the young blonde really had something going here, but the village had been doing remarkably well under his rule. He arrogantly concluded in his mind that Tsunade had simply left things in great shape for this 'rags to riches' mishap of a Hokage sitting before him.

Naruto scoffed at his expected lack of response and continued. "I treat this village with great care and respect, Hiashi-sama. I know how great of a responsibility this position is, and just because I can be a little outspoken doesn't mean that I do not have great reverence for the things I care about." Naruto looked at Hiashi solemnly.

"That includes your daughter, sir." Naruto continued before Hiashi could say anything.

"For one, Hinata deserves more respect than she gets behind these Hyuuga walls." Naruto pointed at Hiashi defiantly. "Do you realize how powerful she has become, Hiashi-sama? Or are you too caught up with the Hinata from over ten years ago? The shy, timid Hinata that tried and tried but could never seem to succeed in your eyes."

Naruto unexpectedly pulled the sleeve of his shirt up, showing it to his one person audience. What Hiashi saw surprised him. "You know what these marks are, no?" Naruto asked slowly.

Hiashi scoffed. "Of course I do. They're the marks of closed tenketsu, the proof that you were defeated by the unrivaled Jyuuken of a Hyuuga."

"Exactly!" Naruto proclaimed excitedly. "Hinata-chan really kicked my ass the other day!"

Hiashi looked at him impatiently. "Uzumaki, what does this have to do with anything? This conversation is trying my patience."

"It's simple really," Naruto replied. "I train with her regularly, and we usually don't hold back. If I choose to let my guard down at _any_ point when I'm training with her, this is what ends up happening," Naruto said as he pointed to his arm.

He looked at Hiashi coldly. "I see absolutely zero reason why Hinata is so looked down on within the Hyuuga clan anymore. She's just about the strongest kunoichi in the village and easily counts as one of Konoha's elite, and you Hyuuga morons just don't get it!"

Hiashi stood up quickly, anger pulsing throughout his body. "If you came here to insult myself and my clan Uzumaki, this conversation is over. Get out of my office!"

Naruto laughed ruefully at the older Hyuuga. "Your clan, huh? Your office? If I remember correctly, Hinata has been the supposed leader of this clan for a little under two years. It's pretty easy to see who the _real_ leader of this clan still is. Tell me, where's Hinata's office?"

Naruto didn't give Hiashi the time to respond as he snapped his fingers loudly. "Oh, that's right! She doesn't have one! Damn, and I thought the position of Hokage was ceremonial!"

Hiashi looked at Naruto with disgust, seething with anger for the young man. "You know nothing of what you're talking about. This is the way things have to be, for the sake of our clan. Hinata has defied me at every step since she was appointed clan leader. She has caused great upheaval by requesting abolishment of honored traditions! Quite frankly, this matter does not concern the Hokage, and I ask you leave at once."

Naruto glared at Hiashi, his eyes glowing demonic red. He pointed a clawed finger at the _real _clan leader and snarled at him with fanged teeth. "Fifteen times, Hiashi. That's the number of times I've had to comfort your beautiful, _wonderful_ daughter after she was berated and scorned at a clan meeting; every time was more painful for her than the last!" Naruto's eyes faded to their normal blue after a moment, and he looked sadly at the man in front of him.

"Hinata has told me she plans to give up her position as clan leader, Hiashi-sama. She's so strong, and she has worked so hard to better this cursed clan, but it just causes too much pain for her." Naruto grimaced as he continued.

"This is for the best. I honestly tried to talk her out of it sir, because I know she's not a quitter. We've both decided it's for the best." Naruto looked at him insolently as his frown turned into an awkward smile.

"Besides, she would make a much better leader for the Uzumaki clan, don't you think?" Hiashi's pale eyes widened at the realization of what Naruto was saying.

"I know for a fact that I'll never receive your blessing," Naruto said solemnly. I also know that because of your ridiculous clan rules, the only way I could have continued to be with Hinata is if I would have been accepted in to the clan and taken on an honorary Hyuuga name." Naruto's eyes briefly flashed red again before he regained his composure and continued.

"I _also_ know that none of this would have ever happened. You know how much Hinata and I love each other, but you would have made your very best effort to keep us apart." He scoffed at Hiashi and continued his tirade.

"It's pretty obvious that your clan, aside from Neji-san and Hinata-chan, still regards me as the evil demon container. However, I felt obligated to come to you before I officially asked Hinata-chan to be my wife."

Hiashi seemed too stunned to say anything, so Naruto continued. "We've talked things over Hiashi-sama. Hinata and I both know that marrying outside the clan would mean her stepping down as clan leader and becoming a Hyuuga family outcast." He continued bravely.

"But damn it Hiashi, we love each other; if we denied these feelings, we would live out the rest of our lives knowing nothing but regret. I would hope that even you can understand that."

Obviously the brash old Hyuuga did not, based on his response. "Very well," he replied, "I will summon Hinata and have her Byakugen sealed away. She will have a level three branch family seal placed on her within the hour, and the two of you can do whatever you wish. I will _not _have our family powers be defiled by trash like you!"

Naruto was on top of his desk, spewing forth hot, red youki just fractions of a second after Hiashi finished his sentence. He picked him up roughly by his collar and pinned him against the nearest wall faster than the skilled Hyuuga could activate his famed bloodline eyes.

"You will do no such thing!" Naruto replied hotly. "Hinata and I will be together… she will keep all of her abilities, and we _will_ become the prominent clan in this village." He threw the Hyuuga to the floor angrily, standing over him in defiance with an angry red rasengan in his hand itching for an outlet.

"I'm sorry it comes to this," Naruto said, calming down a bit as he let the large ball of chakra in his hand dissipate. "If there was even a semblance of virtue in your clan, and if anyone would have accepted me, I would have gladly been part of the group to be by Hinata's side. Just_ imagine_ what the Kyuubi's power could have contributed to the Hyuuga blood line." Naruto whistled a bit, as if in awe of what the Hyuuga clan could have been.

Naruto turned to walk out of Hiashi's office. "I'll see you later _dad. _Hinata will be coming with me tomorrow to officially resign her position. Oh, and if I see a Hyuuga come within one hundred yards of my precious Hinata-chan, I will kill him." He gave Hiashi one final look, eyes once again bright red.

"Do not test me."

00000000000000000000000

Naruto looked happily at his lover across the elegant dinner table, eyeing her keenly as she elegantly took a sip of the expensive wine he had bought for the occasion. He for one was not all that impressed with fancy dinners and such; he was still content heading to Ichiraku's for lunch or eating the delicious food that Hinata would regularly prepare for him, but he wanted simply the best for his beloved on this night.

It was obvious that Hinata had stars in her eyes. "Thank you so much for taking me here, Naruto-kun! It must have taken forever to get reservations."

Naruto laughed and looked at his girlfriend mischievously. "Not really. Being Hokage does have its perks, you know." Hinata giggled happily and looked at Naruto.

"How did your conversation with father go this morning?"

"Not well," the rowdy blonde replied back to the young kunoichi across from him. "He does know our intentions now though." Naruto looked at Hinata thoughtfully, as if trying to find the words to say to the one person he cherished above all others.

"Hinata… are you sure this is what you want to do? We've been trying so hard together, and I feel like, l-like I've failed you." Hinata shook her head fiercely at him.

"You haven't failed me at all Naruto-kun! My clan just isn't going to change, we've both seen that. If someone has worked at it as hard as we have and haven't seen any results, I just don't think it's going to happen." Naruto nodded slowly.

"I just feel like we're giving up is all," he said sadly. "And you know I don't like giving up on anything." Hinata smiled widely at him with love in her eyes.

"We haven't given up, Naruto-kun. I'd like to think of this as an extended break from all the stress we've been putting ourselves through. I'm hoping that one day things will turn around with my stubborn family, but you know that things haven't been easy for us lately..." Hinata started to say something else, but she noticed the increasingly disturbed look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Hinata," Naruto started slowly, "When I was speaking with your father this morning, things got a little, err, heated." Naruto had Hinata's full attention.

"When I told him what you were intending to do, he umm, he threatened to put a level three branch family seal on you." Hinata gasped at Naruto's revelation.

"Level three?" Hinata whispered with a slight whimper. "That seal hasn't been used for over one hundred years… it practically turns off your chakra coils. I couldn't use Byakugen… I would be worthless as a shinobi." Hinata stifled her tears, and Naruto looked at her apologetically.

"I was considering not telling you, Hina-chan. I didn't want to upset you, but I felt like I _had _to tell you, so that you could be on the lookout. I don't know what I'd do if they managed to do something so evil to you."

"No, it's okay," Hinata interrupted, wiping her eyes slowly. "Thank you for telling me, and we'll make sure that never happens, right?"

Naruto smiled happily at his girlfriend's bravery and confidence. "Right! There's no way the Hokage and his awesome girlfriend would ever let that happen!"

Hinata reached across the table and entwined her hand with Naruto's. "I love you Naruto-kun. Thank you for sticking with me and my family's problems all this time."

Naruto tightened his grip on Hinata's small hand gave her a reassuring smile. "Anything for you, Hina-chan. What do you say we get out of here?"

00000000000000000000000

They walked slowly away from Konoha's business district, heading in the direction of the Hokage tower with Hinata slightly in front of her lover. She knew that Naruto's day had been one big interruption, and he had to catch up on some work that had piled up throughout the day. Although she would have loved to stay the night with him and thank him_ properly_ for what he had done for her today, she stopped under the blooming cherry trees to bid him farewell.

Before she could turn around to give him a kiss goodnight and be on her way, he quickly closed the distance between them and lovingly wrapped his arms around her from behind. Hinata smiled and melted into his embrace as Naruto planted soft kisses on her delicate neck line.

"You mean the world to me, Hina-chan… you complete me." Naruto took her left hand in both of his.

"Close your eyes, Hina-chan." Hinata laughed and complied as Naruto freed one of his hands from hers and reached into his pocket. "No peeking!"

He once again took her completely into his warm embrace from behind, holding her tightly, as if she would disappear if he let go. Hinata continued to keep her eyes tightly shut as he brought his mouth close to her ear and started speaking to her quietly.

"Hina-chan, we've been together for over a year and a half now. I… love you so much." He gently took hold of her left hand with his right, slipping a delicate diamond ring on her finger. Hina gasped quietly, her eyes still closed.

"Open your eyes, Hina-chan." Hinata complied, and tears of happiness rolled freely down her face as she looked at the large diamond engagement ring on her finger.

"I know we've already talked a lot about this, since your future with your clan depended on whether or not we would stay together. Part of my confrontation with your father this morning revolved around the fact that I want you to be my wife."

Hinata smiled warmly. Even if her father hated her boyfriend, Naruto still wanted his blessing to some extent. She swooned at how much of a gentleman he had turned into over the years.

Naruto slowly turned his lover around to face him. He lovingly wiped the tears from her face and kissed her lips softly. He then looked her solemnly in the eyes. "Hina-chan," he said cautiously, looking for approval from the woman standing in front of her. "I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to start a clan with you, a proud clan where there's no ridiculous family traditions and unnecessary divisions… a happy clan, a strong clan."

Naruto shifted nervously, never the best at this kind of stuff. Hinata was waiting in earnest for the question she had been yearning for her entire life.

"Hinata, will you marry me?"

The rest of the night went by slowly, wonderfully… Naruto had decided to forego his work as Hokage and spend it with his love, at least just this night. Instead, they went back to his humble apartment and spent this special night together.

They made love together that night; though not their first time by any means, it was without a doubt the most special sexual encounter between the too. It was raw, passionate, and beyond pleasurable for the both of them. Above all, however, every touch, every kiss they shared that night exuded a kind of love they did not know was possible. It was the start of something amazing, a commitment that would be built upon for years to come.

And oh, by the way… Hinata said yes.

00000000000000000000000

Author's notes: I bet you guys didn't expect to see anything from this story again. What can I say? Inspiration hit me and I decided to continue this. As I was saying from the last chapter, this one went quite a bit into the future, about 1.5 years. If things seem different, that's because they are. Naruto and Hinata's relationship obviously had a lot of time to progress in that time. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!


	5. Reconstruction

_**Chapter 5: Reconstruction**_

Hinata stared blankly at the polished wood table she was sitting at. Her elbows rested on said table, and she found herself twiddling her fingers nervously, much like the twelve year old Hinata of long ago. She knew her husband saw her, and she knew that he didn't approve.

"Hina-chan, it's okay… don't be worried. We'll figure things out, I promise."

Naruto's lovely wife looked his way, nodded, and gave him a small smile. He was right… he seemed to always be right about things like this. It had been a very long week for her, however. She was tired, cranky and immensely sad about what had transpired in Konoha just a week prior. Now, she was waiting for some people that would try to help determine what to do with the remnants of her old clan.

"Hinata-sama, the Hokage is right. We will work through this… we're all here to make things right."

Hinata looked at the person sitting across from her at the same table in the large conference room. It was her loyal cousin Neji, one of the few remaining Hyuugas. They were both right of course… she simply could not get past the fact that her once proud clan had been reduced to rubble and ashes in the blink of an eye. She thought back to how it all began…

Hyuuga Osamu was a very little known member of the Hyuuga Branch family. He was not an exceptional ninja. In fact, he had never even gained the ability to use the Byaakugan. He was known by the Main and Branch families alike to be an intelligent man, a book worm of sorts. In fact, he had actually gained the responsibility of tending for the exquisite Hyuuga family library. This library rivaled the central Konaha library in terms of size and information, and everyone knew him to constantly have his nose in one of its books while he was there.

Information was still very sketchy. However, from what ANBU and the Hokage had determined from some survivors, it all started when Osamu came across a book in that library which never should have been there. Though he tended the library, the main branch was very diligent in ensuring that all confidential Hyuuga family texts were not in the main library. They stayed within the clan leader's personal library at all times, under lock and key. It was soon revealed, however, that they missed one extremely important book. This was a book that they did not even know existed, and little did they realize that it would be the end of the Hyuuga clan as Konoha knew it.

One day, when sorting through the older tomes in the library's back storage area, Osamu found this book. After looking through it, he realized the startling nature of this text. It was the inner workings of the branch family's infamous caged bird seal. Osamu was stunned; he discovered quickly that this book explained everything about the seal, details that not even the highest rung of the main family currently knew.

He toiled endlessly in secret, poring over the text to better understand how the intricate seal worked. After some time, he was able to reverse engineer the seal; eventually, he successfully and safely removed the seal from his own forehead. Because of this book and its information, he was a free man.

In the aftermath of what happened, through interrogations and the like, it was pretty obvious that Osamu was not a bitter man. He understood his place in the Hyuuga family, and he accepted the seal as part of his life with little resentment to the main family. In fact, he had always been so well behaved throughout his life that no member of the main family had ever punished him with the seal.

However, he had seen the disgusting use of the seal on many of his closest friends. He knew of people who had died for little reason, simply because a main family member had a bad day and decided to take it out on a branch family member. Because of this, he decided that he had to share the information with his branch family brethren. He wanted everyone to be free.

What happened after that is still unclear. It had been determined that Osamu secretly freed all branch family members from the caged bird seal's clutches. Shortly thereafter, free to confront the main family without fear of the seal's punishment, there was a revolt. In the course of one short night, countless Hyuuga died. In fact, there were all but six remaining main family adult members. The branch family had fared much better; it was clear though that the instigating members of this civil war were to be severely punished per Konaha's laws regarding inter-clan warfare.

All things said, there were roughly fifty Hyuuga still alive, including women and children. Hundreds had died that fateful night, including Hinata's father.

The eldest daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi shook her head bitterly as she thought back to what happened one week prior. During her brief stint as clan head, she sounded the warning constantly, without letup. She warned them that the division between the main and branch families would be the undoing of the clan. She knew she was right at the time; she just didn't know how right and that it would happen as quickly and devastatingly as it did.

Her attention turned to Neji. She thanked the Gods that her dear cousin was away on an extended mission during the aforementioned events. The only thing that made her smile during this dark time was the fact that her cousin now no longer had a caged bird seal marked upon his forehead either. He rushed home from his mission after hearing the news, and Hinata, using the book that was confiscated from Osamu, personally removed the seal from Neji. That cursed seal would forever be no more, and the book was shortly thereafter burned after the last caged bird seal had been removed from the remaining Hyuuga.

Hinata was pulled away from her reverie when three Hyuuga knocked politely and invited themselves in to the Hokage's conference room. There were two branch family members; a lady by the name of Hyuuga Noa, accompanied by her husband Hyuuga Ryouta. The one main family member entering the room was none other than Hyuuga Hanabi. The former clan head was remarkably grateful that her little sister had survived the incident, cantankerous as she could sometimes be. Though her father and she rarely spoke before his death, she cried herself to sleep in Naruto's arms every night over her father since the revolt. Regardless of how he treated her and Naruto, she still loved him and missed him terribly. So, she was very happy to have at least one direct family member still alive after the horrible incident.

It had been determined that these four Hyuuga, along with Uzamaki Naruto and Uzumaki Hinata, would determine the ultimate fate of the Hyuuga clan going forward. There was open debate within Konoha whether it would be best to disband the clan entirely or try to rebuild it. It was Hinata's hope that everyone sitting at the intricate table before her could come up with an amicable solution.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Greetings. Neji, Hanabi, Ryouta and Noa… we've called this meeting with myself and Hina-ch… Uzumaki Hinata to determine what needs to be done in light of these tragic circumstances. Who would like to open with their recommendations?"

Ryouta was the first to speak. "I believe I can speak in behalf of everyone here when I say that I would like to hear the Hokage's opinion on the matter." Naruto looked at him gravely and nodded.

He stood up for a minute and looked at everyone intensely. "You all know that this is very personal for me, so I will try to keep this as professional as possible." Naruto scratched the bottom of his chin for a moment and furrowed his brow, thinking of where to begin; he had to admit that being professional was going to be hard. He decided that he simply had to take at least a couple of jabs at this mess of a clan.

"I'm incredibly, extremely tempted to disband this clan indefnitely. I will say this once… the Hyuuga clan brought this situation on itself." He looked at Hanabi sharply. He knew she was nothing like Hinata and more like Hinata's father. He also knew that she was particularly fond of tormenting the "lesser" branch family members and punishing them with the seal as often as possible.

"Just how long did you think this tangled web your main family weaved was going to hold up, Hyuuga Hanabi?" He pointed at her accusingly. "People can only take so much punishment before they have had enough. Did you honestly believe that the branch family would forever be under the seal's control and that your family could abuse them as they did? Shame on you… it's of absolutely no surprise to me that the branch family members now out-number the main family members five to one. Though I'm absolutely disgusted with what happened, they exacted some long over-due revenge on your family, Hanabi-san."

Hanabi lowered her head. "Hai, Hokage-sama… I have no rebuttal or excuse for what myself and my family did."

Naruto nodded at her. He had to admit that her confession of guilt surprised him a bit. He could tell that she felt a great deal of guilt over what had happened, and that impressed him quite a bit. He looked in the direction of Ryouta and Noa.

"It is my understanding that you two had nothing to do with the revolt on the main house, though you did know that it was going to happen." They both nodded.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Naruto looked at them intensely. "I know what it's like to be persecuted… all the branch family members knew that Hinata and I were very sympathetic to the branch family, did they not?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama, they did."

He continued to stare them down, eyes flashing red briefly. "Why did you not approach us with the branch family's plans prior to all this needless bloodshed? I am ashamed right now to be Hokage of a village where its clans are warring amongst themselves!"

His eyes softened a bit as he continued. "We could have used the ability to remove the seal as an advantage. We could have attempted to peacefully unite this clan, and you know that the branch family would have had the Hokage's and Hinata's backing. It saddens me that you let this senseless violence happen in **my** village. Shame on the branch family as well… shame on all of you." Naruto sat back down and sighed.

Ryouta looked at the young Hokage nervously. "On behalf of the branch family, I also have no rebuttal for the sins we have committed. Though I realize the damage has already been done, I humbly ask for the Hokage's forgiveness… please, let us attempt to rebuild our clan."

Naruto nodded. "You realize that every branch member who instigated this sickening revolt is more than likely going to be sentenced to death, correct?" Everyone nodded in response, and Naruto sighed heavily.

"So… here is the question. Can the remaining main family members, along with the remaining, **innocent** branch family members put their differences behind them? Is it possible to unite and become one clan again… to put the hate and resentment behind them and start over?" Naruto, positive that he got his point across, became silent, waiting for everyone else's input.

Hanabi shifted uncomfortably in her seat and decided to speak up. "Hokage-sama… I have spoken with the remaining main family members. I speak for all of them when I say that we are truly sorry for what has happened. The only way to make things right is if we unite with the rest of the branch members and form a new Hyuuga clan, if they will have us. None of us could live with ourselves if we cannot recompense our sins to both our clan and Konoha."

Hyuuga Noa spoke for the first time. "The remaining branch family members are in agreement with what Hanabi-sama says. We also want to make things right. Please, Hokage-sama… give us all the chance to rebuild our clan. We will make sure you do not regret it."

Hinata looked at her husband, almost pleadingly. "Naruto-kun… I wasn't sure before, but I think this is the best course of action. They seem sincere… I think we should try to rebuild the Hyuuga clan."

Neji nodded in agreement. "I agree with everyone, Hokage-sama… let us have the opportunity to unite and rebuild our clan… please."

Naruto had to hide a smile. He had never been in a room with this many Hyuugas and seen such sincerity or meekness. It felt like he was surrounded by a room-full of Hinatas, and it made him happy in spite of the dark circumstance surrounding the Hyuuga clan. He nodded approvingly.

"Very well, you all have me convinced… please, do not disappoint me in this matter. I will reserve the right to abolish the Hyuuga clan if I see any manner of bickering or fighting within the clan. Expect regular visits to see how things are going. From here on out, we will no longer speak in terms of "main" or "branch" house. From here on out, you are all Hyuugas and nothing more. Is that clear?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!"

For the first time since the meeting started, Naruto put on his trademark smile. "Now, who wants to be clan head?"

**000000000000000000**

It was a beautiful evening, they had both concluded, as they walked hand in hand back to their home that night. The sun had long since set, and the night was winding down in the city of Konoha. It was peaceful, serene, and they both felt like they had truly accomplished something meaningful.

"Naruto-kun?"

"What's up Hina-chan?" Naruto looked at his wife of two years as they continued walking, smiling warmly at her as she glanced up at him. She smiled in return, for the first time in over a week.

"Thank you so much… for everything. You've helped me so much." Naruto stopped and wrapped her up in a warm hug.

"It's the very least I could do, Hina-chan… as your husband and as Hokage. You're very welcome." He kissed her lightly on the lips, released his grasp on her and continued walking.

"Neji will make a great clan head, Naruto-kun. I'm sure Tenten will keep him in line too," Hinata said quietly as she tightened her grip on her husband's hand.

"He will… but my Hina-chan would have been much better." Hinata laughed lightly and looked her husband with a smile.

"You know I can't do that, Naruto-kun. I'm fully devoted to our little Uzumaki clan, and you know it!" Naruto laughed.

"How could I forget? I wonder how little Minato is doing without mom and dad." Hinata nodded in agreement. They hadn't seen their son enough this week, and she was ready to get back to him. They started walking a little more quickly.

They made it home shortly thereafter and let themselves in. Their babysitter, who was dozing softly on the couch, awoke upon their arrival. She got up quickly and bowed to them both.

"Good evening Hokage-sama, Hinata-sama. My apologies… I put Minato to bed around an hour ago, and I must have dozed off myself."

Naruto waved it off. "No problem, Kokoro… we'll take it from here. Thank you so much for watching our son so much this week. You've been a real lifesaver."

The young lady nodded quickly. "It's been my pleasure, Hokage-sama. Let me know if you need anything else."

After letting herself out, Hinata and Naruto made their way to their sleeping son's room and approached his crib. The tiny six month old infant was sleeping peacefully in the dimly lit room. Hinata gently reached into the crib and picked up their pride and joy.

"Hi Minato… did you miss mommy and daddy?" Hinata stroked his head softly and gave their son into Naruto's loving arms. He held his son proudly and affectionately.

"I'm sure you missed us, but you're tough. You can live without mom and dad for at least a little while, right?" He pulled Hinata to him to instigate a tightly woven family hug. Hinata melted into her husband as he affectionately held his wife and his son.

"It will always only be a little while though, I promise," Naruto whispered just loud enough for Hinata to hear him.

"We'll always be here for you. The Uzumaki clan will always be here for you." Hinata tightened her grip on her husband, trying to keep the tears from flowing. How did she manage get such a wonderful person as her husband? She felt truly blessed.

They carefully put their son back to bed and retired for the evening themselves. They talked a bit about the "new" Hyuuga clan and how to proceed from what had transpired earlier that evening. Above all though, they were there for each other. The talk soon stopped as they held each other close and made love.

Before falling asleep, Hinata thought about her life. The good and bad were on her mind, but she knew as she lay in Naruto's arms, at that very moment in time, all was right with the world. Sleep claimed her as she realized that everything would be okay… with her husband, her _family, _every evening would be a beautiful one.

**_Fin_**

Author's Notes: There you go, I finally finished it. Expect an epilogue at a later date. I already know where I want to go with it. Thanks for reading everyone.


End file.
